AT&T this week announced that its high-speed 4G LTE network — compatible with Apple's latest iPhone 5, iPad and iPad mini — has launched in 15 new markets, and also expanded coverage in a handful of other locations.

A trio of digital rights advocacy groups have indicated to AT&T they will file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over the carrier's decision to block FaceTime calls over cellular data networks for some customers.

The hodgepodge of different LTE frequency bands used by various carriers globally has necessitated three versions of iPhone 5, with the potential for additional new models as Apple signs on other carriers.

The flurry of last-minute leaks continues, as a new picture claims to show the logic board from Apple's iPhone 5, complete with a 4G LTE modem chip and a new A6 processor. Separately, a series of pictures appear to show the final design of the iPhone 5.

Amazon took a direct shot at Apple on Thursday when it unveiled its new Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE, with the same $499 starting price as Apple's current generation iPad. But the main selling point is a new $50-per-year, 250-megabyte-per-month 4G LTE data plan.

A new report from investment bank PiperJaffray claims 28nm chip shortages at Qualcomm are unlikely to keep Apple from releasing a next-generation iPhone with a "completely redesigned body style" in October.

Verizon Wireless has reported a 7.7 percent year-over-year increase in mobile service revenues, while noting in a conference call that more than half of its 6.3 smartphones sold during the quarter were iPhones.